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New fire brigade recruits should come from disbanded panel – McDonald

Sinn Féin Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald has today
called on Dublin City Council management to review its decision to embark on a
costly recruitment drive to fill 28 vacancies for the Dublin Fire Brigade.

Deputy McDonald called on the Council to instead recruit
from the Dublin Fire Brigade new recruits Panel which was disbanded earlier
this year.

Deputy McDonald said:

“Dublin City Council Management and Dublin Fire Brigade
have agreed to fill 53 of the estimated 80 vacancies in the fire brigade. It is
of course good news that agreement has finally been reached on filling a
significant proportion of the existing vacancies which in turn will result in
real savings in overtime payments.

“However it appears to me to be a barmy suggestion that
Dublin City Council would now embark on a costly external recruitment drive to
recruit 28 of the vacancies when it has already spent €300,000 on putting
together a panel of suitable candidates for the Dublin Fire Brigade. Whilst the
new recruit’s panel was disbanded earlier this year many of those who won a
place on it are still ready and willing to work, and most importantly are fully
qualified for the vacancies now available.

“I have today written to Dublin City Council Manager John
Tierney asking that he reconsider his plans for a new recruitment drive and
instead fill the vacancies from the former Dublin Fire Brigade new recruits panel.
I have also written to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, of which I
am a member, asking that the Committee write to the Minister for the
Environment, Community and Local Government asking that he explain this waste
of public monies by Dublin City Council.”